Storm succumb to back to back defeats

A home game on Saturday and away in Newcastle on Sunday took its toll on Hemel Storm at the weekend with them being defeated in both matches.

At Sportspace on Saturday Vanarama-sponsored Storm lost out to old rivals Worthing Thunder 90-101 in a National League Division One clash that for three of the four quarters was neck and neck. Worthing broke open the game in the third to gain a 15 point margin, and whilst Storm gallantly fought back in the 4th it just wasn’t enough.

A seemingly misbalanced foul count, 24 against Storm to just 14 on Worthing including an unprecedented number of Technical Fouls, together with not being able to contain Worthing’s Lyonell Gaines (37 points) all contributed to Storm’s downfall.

The team travelled to Newcastle on Sunday to face League leaders Team Northumbria.

Carl Josey, who is still recovering from a back injury, and Nik Rhodes who has a suspected fractured elbow from Saturday’s game couldn’t play, and Wayne Yeboah was nursing a groin injury also sustained in Saturday’s game.

However the Hemel side were not going to give in without a fight. The first three quarters were nip and tuck and it was only going into the final stanza that Northumbria gained momentum going out the eventual winners 91 points to Storm’s 73.